Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 167, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112263
Keywords
Plastics; Oil spills; Social-ecological systems; Sustainability transformations; Marine litter; Marine debris
Funding
- Volkswagenstiftung
- Niedersachsisches Ministerium fur Wissenschaft und Kultur [A112269]
- German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
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Despite increasing understanding of marine pollution, current research tends to focus more on technical solutions rather than viewing pollution as a systemic social-ecological issue. Investigating the deeper drivers of pollution, such as institutions and values, is crucial for fundamentally altering system trajectories.
Despite an increasing understanding of the issue of marine pollution, humanity continues on a largely unsustainable trajectory. This study aimed to identify and classify the range of scientific studies and interventions to address coastal and marine pollution. We reviewed 2417 scientific papers published between 2000 and 2018, 741 of which we analysed in depth. To classify pollution interventions, we applied the systems-oriented concept of leverage points, which focuses on places to intervene in complex systems to bring about systemic change. We found that pollution is largely studied as a technical problem and fewer studies engage with pollution as a systemic social-ecological issue. While recognising the importance of technical solutions, we highlight the need to focus on under-researched areas pertaining to the deeper drivers of pollution (e.g. institutions, values) which are needed to fundamentally alter system trajectories.
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